A narrative review of thermoregulation techniques used by paediatric theatre staff during intra hospital transfer from paediatric theatres to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ( NICU)

Introduction
Effective thermoregulatory care during neonatal transfer for surgical procedures is crucial in preventing inadvertent neonatal hypothermia. This narrative review thereby aims to investigate thermoregulation techniques used by paediatric theatre staff to prevent neonatal hypothermia during the neonate's surgical journey from theatres to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Key findings
The review highlights the importance of continual temperature monitoring in ensuring prevention and diagnosis of hypothermia during intra hospital transfer. Additionally considerations for prevention of hypothermia in the theatre setting are identified including pre warming the theatre environment and equipment. The literature also identified that during intra hospital transfer of neonates following surgery there is a lack of specific guidelines relating to the exact combination of thermoregulation techniques required during such transfers. To prevent practices which are guided by theatre staff preference, findings suggest that guidelines are implemented that are clear, specific and standardised within surgical neonatal intra hospital transfer.

Conclusions
There is a lack of clinical guidelines pertaining specifically towards neonatal intra hospital transfer following neonatal surgery. Consequently, neonatal hypothermia has been reported post-transfer in research and the practice setting following transfers between Theatres to NICU. Thereby, further investigation of paediatric theatre staff neonatal thermoregulatory care is required along with the introduction of national standardised guidelines and paediatric theatre staff education to ensure evidence based practice.